'We have to come out swinging' as Taste of Lombard headliner

Members of The Fold – George Castady left) of Oak Brook, Mark Rhoades (drums) of Itasca, Dan Castady of Lombard, and Matt Pittman of Lombard – will be the headline act July 4 at The Taste of Lombard.

Caption

(Bill Ackerman - backerman@shawmedia.com)

Members of The Fold: Mark Rhoades (from left) of Itasca, Matt Pittman of Lombard, and Dan Castady of Lombard practice with George Castady (not pictured) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 for their headline appearance at The Taste of Lombard, followed the next day at Lisle's Eyes to the Skies. Bill Ackerman - backerman@shawmedia.com

LOMBARD – For Dan Castady, lead singer and guitarist of the pop-punk band The Fold, playing the Taste of Lombard festival has become a staple the band looks forward to each summer.

“We’re excited,” said Castady, a Lombard resident and a Willowbrook High School alumnus. “When we talk about playing hometown shows, we know we’re always going to get on the phone with the [Lombard] Jaycees to be a part of the fest.”

The Fold will headline the Fourth of July portion of the annual festival, which runs from July 1 to 5 at Madison Meadow Park. The band, scheduled from 9 to 10:45 p.m., will perform both before and immediately after the firework display.

“It’s going to be different because we have generally played during the day,” Castady said. “We have to come out swinging.”

Castady and his brother, guitarist George Castady of Oak Brook, started The Fold while students at Willowbrook in 2002.

The band gained national attention when it signed to California-based Tooth and Nail Records in 2005. Their second label release, the 2007 “Secrets Keep You Sick,” netted the band a Grammy nomination for “Best Recording Package.”

Following a three-year stint on Tooth and Nail, The Fold’s contract ended, and the band went independent. Since 2008, the band has remained active learning to work smarter, not harder, Castady explains.

“If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be that you don’t need to be away on tour for six months.”

Returning with their collective tails between their legs following their first independent tour in December 2009, the band decided to have some fun, making a self-shot, parody music video of Miley Cyrus’ hit, “Party in the U.S.A.,” titled, “Every Band in the U.S.A.”

The video was posted to YouTube, and quickly went viral. It has since been viewed almost 500,000 times.

“It was our first taste of YouTube success,” Castady said. “This light bulb went on and made us realize this real-time reaction that got people talking. Content is king, and it needs to be fast.”

Self-released videos showcasing the band’s humorous side have become a reoccurring theme and include the 2010 single “Neverender” that the band shot inside Willowbrook. The group also used YouTube to promote their latest release, “Moving Past,” that was funded with the help of fan support through a Kickstarter effort.

The band has also taken its music in a different direction, writing theme songs for brands and professional sports teams, including the band’s song, “Let’s Go Cubbies,” which was adopted as the official song for the Chicago Cubs and is played during every broadcast on WGN Radio AM 720.

The Fold, which also now features Matt Pittman of Lombard and Mark Rhoades of
Itasca, initially played the Taste of Lombard five years ago, and Lombard Jaycees’ President Jackie West has asked them back each year.

“They’re a lot of fun,” West said. “They play a little something for everyone, and every year they try to top themselves.”

Preceding The Fold on stage at the festival on Independence Day are local bands Game Changer and Bulletproof, whose members are comprised of local kids who also attended high school in Lombard and Villa Park.

“That’s the best thing is to see the young bands and talk to them about their vision,” Castady said. “We came from here and we’re all in the same boat.”